Combined milk evaporator and drier.



JNO; ALEXANDER. COMBINED MIL); BVAPONATGR AND DINER.

v `APPLINATIDN FILED MA1 19, 1910. 986, 1 1 8.

L 1. w m T w, m 1H N Y H6 nu 7.. S ar r m d s `R b. HW a M f1 ME y an H d S N i .LM 2 Q m J Q. `G `D@ 8 N/ on Q J1 G. ALEXANDER, 1 COMBINED MILKEVAPORATOR AND DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 19, 1910.

Patented 111111.11911.

N v` fi N @o 1 Witwe/.awo

T dll' whom 'ity concern:

.anims CHRISTIAN Luxenberg or; nosnnnne, oniieonj'f c:

l Be it kno'vvn` that'l, J AMES C. LuXanDER, a'citize'n of the UnitedY States, residing. at

'Roseburgvin-ftlie" county of Douglas and State of Gregori,- have invented certainfnew and useful Improvements in Combined Milk Evaporators andDriers, of which the -following is a specification.'

'f My' invention'relates to a combined machine for Vmaking either condensed or poiv-v deied' milk.

An important object of my invention is to provide a machine of the above character, which will render the/process of poivdering milk continuous and expeditious.

A further obgect of `my invention -is to provide a device of this character, whichas simple 'in construction and positive in its operation'.

further "object my invention is to provide a machine for lpowdering milkfso 'constructed that the same may beeinpioyed 5to condense milk without alteringfits construction. r 25,

Inthe accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which' like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the saine, Figure 1 is a central vertical section'ithrough the upper halfV of the machine.' Fig. 2 isa similar View through the lower half of the machine.

.Fig 3 is a 4detail fra l entaryview of a' portion of the endless elt,` employed in the machine. Y

,In-the drawings illustrating a' preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 1 designates sides of a hollow base or sup# port 2, which are arranged upon asuitable founuationf. Within the upper end of this hollowsupportl 'is' arranged a Crucible- 'shaped receptacle 4, having a flange 5,

which is disposed" upon and suitably secured tn the sides 1. This crucibleshaped receptacle is further provided adjacent its botf tom With a discharge pipe 5'., Whichfcoin- 'municatesvvith a suitableEform of exhaust fan orpump (notush'owm. The Cruciblef shaped, receptacle 4. is further provided with .9, door ,Wherebyaccess may be had to the interior ofthe same;l `The open end ofthe 'crucibleshaped receptacle ,4 is closed by ,means'of ajp1ate'6,fwhich forms thebott'om of `an upright' casing? constituting'the body portion "the 1nachine. l The upright cas-y 1 s `pe lerably lsquare ""in' cross section Siiaeo eff Letteria'telll i ,i Y, 1 applicati@ aina may 1a, 1910. seal N- M393' is arranged a p domeinen Mr ilirivarona'ron AND Deren.,

and gprpvided at suitable intervals;v

doors 9 and 11, 'whereby accessmay beireadf:

ily had to the interior-of the casing T., .Thei doors 9 andA 11 may preferably be provided? lwith, sightfv openings whereby the operation'l: of the machine maybe observed. -'The upper; end of the casing 7 is provided with ari-outswardly extendingilange 1K1, upon' which. is

`seated a cover 15, which is bolted Sor other- Wise secured thereto. This cover is provided'y with ai curved pipe 16, which has communication With the casing 7 and asuitableform ofgsuction pump (not shown). .It is thusv soenthat a vacuum vmay be created Within the casing 7 by means of the pipe 16, and the vapors given off from the material` being evaporated ,Within said casing will be acl c ordin/gly withdrawn from the'same through .the nine 16. v

Within the upper portion of the casing 8 urality of evaporatin pans 18, which are disposedin superpose relation, and-alternate ones of which slope .in

opposite directions, so that the lower end of one pan'V will deliver its contents to the upperend of the pan below it. These evaporating i pans are gradually.y arranged at a greater angle toward the lower portion of the casing 8,-which is necessary to cause the thickened milk to travel overA the saine. The lowermost pan 18 has its lower end arranged to deliver its contents to a trough 19, which is provided with two discharge pipes 20 and 21. The discharge pipe 20 passes through the door :11, as shown at 22, and is' rovidedj with a valve 23 upon'the' outer,` si e of the saine, This discharge pipe :20 extends downwardly and communicates with a closed collecting 'tank 24, which is provided with aglasstube gage 25, for indicating thev level. of the-contents withinthe same. This collecting' tank isv further provided at its bottom with 'a cooling 'coil 26, and communication between this cooling coil and collecting tan-k is controlled by means uffa-'suitable form of valve, as shown at 27. The cooling-coil 26 is arranged within a rece tacle 29 and around the cooling-coil,'may e placed' a suitable cooling medium. Thel lower end of the coil26 is controlledby means of' a ,suitable valve, as shown at.30.

The'other discharge pipe 21 of the trough 19 is controlled by means of a valve as shown at 31, which may be opened or closed by the operator when the'door 11 is opened:

A supply tank Slis provided lwith apipe..

32, which extends through the cover` and is arranged to feed material upon the higher end of the uppermost evaparating-pan 18. This pipe 32 -is controlledby means of a suitable valve, as shown at 33.

' able'means may' be employed to' regulate the amount of steam :fed into the pipes 34.

The casing 7 -is provided. upon .one Iside" thereof with a device as 'shown at 35,' for indicating the reduced pressurelwithin-jthe' casing 7, and this casing is4 further provided upon its opposite side with a thermometer-4 device as shown at 36, for indicating the heat temperature within the casing 7.. y' y f lVit-hi'n the casing 7 near litstcenterf and adjacent the lowermost evaporatng panv 18 is arranged a plurality', of spacedsprocket wheels 38, forming a horizontal lrowofthe same. These s'procket'wheels'are 'mounted upon shafts 39', which are snitablyjour'naled through the casing 7. Nearand abovethe' plate 6, withinthe casing 7, isarrangeda horizontal row of spaced felt-'covered rollers 40, which are mounted upon shafts 41 'journaled through the casing 7 The. feltvered rollers vare disposed in lvertical' alnement .with the spaces between the sprocket-wheels 38above referred to. Within the Crucible-shaped receptacle 4,'are arranged sprocket-wheels 42, vwhich are rigidly mounted upon shafts 43a journaled through said Crucible-shaped receptacle. The sprocket-wheels42 are preferably in horizontal alinement with each other and invertical alinement with the outer sprocketwhcels 38 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. An

endlessbelt 44 is trained about the sprocket' wheels 38, 42 and the rollers 40 in a manner clearly shown in Fig; 2. This endless beltis preferably formed of-aluminurn plate per forated. and this belt is provided with.v a sel vage edge 445-. See-Fig. The selvage edge 44a is formed of a suiiiciently iiexible metal. and is provided with spaced openings 44c to cooperate with the teeth of the sprocketwheels 38 and 42. AThis endless belt passes through suitable openings .43 formed upon the plate 6.

For thefpurpose .of actuating the metallic endless belt 44, one of the shafts 42 may eX- tend outwardly through the Crucible-shaped receptacle 4, 'and be provided with a fast pulley45, which may be driven by means of a suitable motor (not shown). The sprocketwheels1 38 and' '4Q-are. rotated to ycause theA metallic endless belt 44 to move iny the direction as :indicated by the arrows.

/Below the sprocket-wheels 38 are arranged vertical and horizontal rows of steam-pipes 56, these vertical rows being in alinement ,with steam pipes 34, and said horizontal rows being arranged closer together,y toward the bottom ofthe casing 7, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. It is to be understood that any suitable means is to -be employed to regulate thesupply of steamthrough the pipes ,56.

' Near and above the plate 6 are arranged felt covered rollers v4 6, whicharevin engagement with the metallic endlessbelt 44 pass-ing between the same. The rollers 46 are pressed tightly against the endless belt 44. and against....the plate-6 as shown, by

means of springs orlany suitable means (not "'Shown). These rollers 46 areA mounted upon shafts 47 which are journaled through the casing 7. The function of the rollers 46 is to closethe openings 48 jwhereby communication between the ,casing 7 and the Crucibleshaped 1 'eccptacle4 is-'provcnted, which will permit of a suitable vacuum bemg maintained within the casmgf.

, lVith'in the crucible-shaped receptacle 4,

above and below the endless belt 44, are arranged respectively rotarybrushes 49 and 50, 'having metallicbristles 51 as xshown, which engage the metallic endless belt 44. These brushes 49 and 50 are driven in opposite directions to each other in order to brush oli and pulverize the dried milk arranged upon the perforatedmetallic belt 44. The crucible-shaped receptacle 4 is provided with a plurality of air-inlets 52, in order toallow cool air to enter within the same to cool the milk powder and facilitate the action of most evaporating pan 18, and this milk will Iaccordingly gravitate toward the Alovvermost pan 18. The milk while traveling upon the evaporating pans is subject to heat Agiven out from the steam pipe 34, whereby this milk is partially evaporated or condensed. This condensed milk may then be withdrawn by opening the valve 23i which allowsthe conjdensed milk to run into a collectingvtank 24, from which 'it may bev passed'through the cooling coil 2G. If, however, itlshould be desired to `reduce the original milk toa powdered form, the valve Z3 is k'ept closed and the valve 31 is opened, whereby the partially evaporatedlor condensed milk is permitted to be fed upon the perforated metallic endless belt This milk is moved 7 bythe belt 44, ,and at 'steam pipes 56. By this operation the milk i gether with this cool air.

-brushes 49` and 50.

-is reduced to a powder,'and removed from the 'endless belt 44, by means of the rotary The powdered mili when' removed/from said endless belt, is

,subjected to cool air, which is being drawn through the rece tacle 4, and-said powdered ir'iilk is remove from said receptacle to4 Special attention is called to the fact thatl the metallic belt ,44 is perforated which causes the i'nilk to'stick tothe saine. milk is dried by the heat given'otll' from thesteam pipes, and owing to tlie location oi" vsaid Apipes the milk could not. become scorched. s

It is to be understood that although my apparatus is particularly adapted to-be .used for the treatment omilk as above described, the same may be successfully employed to. evaporate saltwater gelati'mfglue or other nids.

Having fully described my invention, yI claim,

l. In adevice of the character described, a. casing, a plurality of an'gularly, disposed evaporating pans,V arranged thereinto' de` liver material from one to the other, and an s endless belt arranged Within said casing to receive material from said evapoiating pans.

2. In a device of the character described, a casing, a plurality of evaporating pans arranged therein, and anendless belt arranged within s'aid casing to coperate with said evaporating pans.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a casing, a perforated metallic endless lbelt arranged therein, means for feeding material upon said endless belt,.lieating means arranged Within said casing, means for eX- hausting air from said casing, and brushes for coperation with 4said endless belt.

4.' In a device of the characterjdescribed,

va casing, a plurality of siiperpose'deyaporating pans arrangedtherein, said evaporating. pans being arranged so that material will 'tend totravel faster on each successive lower evaporatingpan, an endless belt arranged belowsaid eva. orating pans, and heating means arrange Within said casing.

5. -In a'device of the character described,- a -casin A, a. plurality-of evaporating pans angulary disposed within said casing and adapted to deliver material fromone to the other,` a riorated 'metallic endless beltJ arranged elovv said eva orating pans for receiving material there om, a closed' re-' ceptacle through, which said endless belt travels, .and means for removing material from"said endless belt to discharge the saine within said closed receptacle.

6. In a device pf the character described,

The

a casing, an end to coperate with said evaporating pans,

evfporating pans arranged therein, i ess belt arranged within said casing v heating4 means associated with sa'id casing,l

and means forreiiioving material from said endless belt.

7. Ina device of the character described,

a casing,'evaporating pans arranged therein,"

an endless beltf arranged below 'said evaporatinfrpan to4 coperate 'Wi h thesame, ya closed less belt' passes, Imeans for removingmate-.-

Irial from said endless belt,`and means 'for exhausting airfrom said closed receptacle'. 8. In a device of the character described,

a casing, evaporating' .pans arranged therein,

anfe-ndlessbeltarranged below the .sameto coperate therewith, a closed receptacle through. whichI -said endless belt passes,

'brnshes'arranged Within said closed recap-- -tacle to engage said endless belt, and means for exh'anst-ing air from said closed recep tacle.

9; In a casing, an endless belt arranged-therein,

a device offthe character described, Y

means for feeding. material. to said endless belt,vheating' means arranged wit-hin said `casing, a closed receptacle tlirong'hwhich said endlessbelt passes, andmeansforremoving'material from said endless belt. l0. Ina deviceof the character described,

acasing, a plurality 'of approximately horizontally arranged 'snperposed evaporating pans arranged Within said casing, superposedl approximately 'horizontally disposed.

rows -of pulleys arranged Within saidcas ico ingr below said evaporating pans, an endless belt trained about said pulleys, aclosed receptacle .through which said endless lbelt travels and means for removing material from said' endless belt.

11. In a device of the character described,

a casing, an inclined eyaporatingpan arranged therein, an endlessb elt' arranged.v Within said casing to receivematerialfroml said evaporating pan, and heating means a'rranged within'said casing.

12. In a device of the character described, a casing, an evaporating pan arranged there# in', 'an endless belt arranged within 'saidcas' ing to receive material from saidV evaporating` pan, and means forl removing material from said endless belt.

13. In a-device of the character described, a casing, an inclined evaporating pan arranged therein.l an endless belt arranged Within said casing to receive material from said evaporatng pan, heating means associated with said casing, a closed receptacle .through which said endless belt passes, and

n'ieans'for removing' material from said endless belt.

14. In a device of the character described,

a casing, an evaporating pan arranged there? in, a 'movable belt arranged to receive mateiso rial from s aid evaporatin'g pen, vand heatlngineans for 4sand casing.

la?. In n. devfioe of the character described,-

sensing, a plurality of super osed inclined evapora'ting pans disposed within s aid ca sing, heatng ,means fassociated with said evaporating pans, and the inclined position of each lsuccessive eva orating pau being Steeper, to causev materlal'to travel at approximately' the, same "raie of speed upon each successive pan, after such materialhas become condensed. f I- 1G. In a device of the character descrlbed,

a casing, a plurality ofsuperposed inclined p Copies lofl this 'patent maX..-I Je olitained ose, 1 18 ing steeper, and means to exhaust alr from said casing.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature' in presence of 'two Witnesses.v

JAMES CHRISTIAN ALEXANDER.

Witnesses:

L.'A. SANCTUARY, C. J. BURCI'HARD.

for ve cents each, 'by 'addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

v Washington, D. C. Y 

